Style of Design

We noticed an intriguing trend lately concerning office buildings. More and more multinational companies bend over backwards to create imposing, sometimes energy efficient structures with an impressive architecture. Whether this happens because they need to create a strong brand identity or want their employees to be a bit more motivated, the end results in matters of design are sometimes mind blowing. And this is where we come in. The Galilée Office Building from Studio Bellecour is located in Toulouse, France and has a distinctive, easily recognizable look.

The project consists of two separate buildings connected together through a white “veil” made out of concrete. This gives the construction a light, aeronautical shape. Here is more on the structure of the building from the architects: “A central square constitutes the central space, the place of privileged pedestrian access towards both halls. The square is slightly heightened to allow for a level of half-buried parking lots organized around a central garden with natural air circulation. A large white concrete form looking like a shingle offers space for bikes within the landscape. The sun shade, a major element of the façades’ composition, bring the bright comfort crucial to the offices and open-spaces of the building.”

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Milan Design Week is gathering more and more interesting showroom designs. Today we would like to present the ALV Showroom, which we find to have an inviting and unusual look.From Italian architect Fabio Novembre, the unit has a circular shape with sinuous lines. The material used was concrete which was given a white and inviting finish. Its shelves will house the company’s products- clothing collections for men, women and kids- which will be showcased for the whole world to see. An impressive ceiling lamp was integrated right in the center of the showroom for a dramatic touch. We will bring you more fresh news from the Milan Furniture Fair soon.

If you liked the cardboard box bed sheets that I posted back in 2008, then you’re going to like this new project from SNURK that makes your bed look like the sidewalk pavement. This clever bedding company, Snurk, has designed a set of sheets that look as if you’re sleeping on the pavement. The environmentally-friendly sheets are digitally printed for optimal quality and a portion of the proceedes ( 40% ) will go to help the homeless. This concrete illusion is made from 100% cotton and a large portion of the proceeds from this sale will go to SZN, the foundation for homeless youngsters in the Netherlands. Though nothing more than novelty bedroom attire, the Le Trottoir Bed Sheets are so realistic looking, you’ll swear you have a piece of pavement on your box spring. – Thanks Peggy van Neer for the suggestion ( via email ).

We live in a world where pre-packaged items have begun blur the lines between what is natural and what is not. So why should our outdoor gardens be any different? Taking note of the lack of green spaces in many large contemporary cities, the designers at Luzinterruptus have come up with a tongue-in-cheek vertical garden that will turn concrete urban sprawl into a glowing green “garden.”

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Post tags: Contemporary Gardens, Luzinterrutus, Modern Gardens, Packaged Vertical Garden, public spaces, urban gardens, urban spaces, vertical garden, Wall Decor

Cottesloe House comes from by Paul Burnham Architect and is located in Perth, Western Australia, in the beach side suburb of Cottesloe. We appreciate the diversity of its exterior design, with the unusual architecture twists. Inside you will notice that most of the rooms are connected, while showing off  a contemporary feel. Here is a statement from the architects regarding the project: “Concrete is a recurring theme throughout the house in recognition of the owners’ occupation and willingness to engage alternate methods of construction and finishes. The successful aspects of the property appear to be the sense of privacy, the consistency of light quality and the uplifting sensation from the significant winter sunlight penetration throughout the building.” Like what you see?

Our friends from Abitare shared this cool noodle shop designed by ISSHO Architects with us. Located in central Tokyo, the ‘soba’ noodle shop has Machiya-style wooden louvers, invoking a traditional Japanese townhouse.  The varying depth of each louver creates a textured sensation across the facade.  Regionally different patterns of light spill through the façade from the interior, allowing a gradual change of character at dawn, especially as viewed from the main street.  The facade aesthetic is modified on the interior’s ceiling as white curved panels contrast the concrete and wood dinning areas to soften the space.  A minimalistic residential apartment for the owner sits above the noodle shop.

More images after the break.

Images photographed by KOICHI TORIMURA

Our friends from Abitare shared this cool noodle shop designed by ISSHO Architects with us. Located in central Tokyo, the ‘soba’ noodle shop has Machiya-style wooden louvers, invoking a traditional Japanese townhouse.  The varying depth of each louver creates a textured sensation across the facade.  Regionally different patterns of light spill through the façade from the interior, allowing a gradual change of character at dawn, especially as viewed from the main street.  The facade aesthetic is modified on the interior’s ceiling as white curved panels contrast the concrete and wood dinning areas to soften the space.  A minimalistic residential apartment for the owner sits above the noodle shop.

More images after the break.

Images photographed by KOICHI TORIMURA

We’ve shown you a lot of weird looking homes lately. Upside-down ones, weird-shaped projects from unconventional materials, built in strange places and on unusual terrains. It would be a little out of line to say that this place was inspired by something in the culinary area, however the Sandwich House follows our list of original living spaces. The residence was designed by Ryoichi Kojima and it is located in Tokyo. The actual living area is suspended between two giant white walls a few feet above the ground. How is this for unconventional? We really like how the place looks and also the wood and concrete combination. The interiors are modern and staircases connect the three floors. Would you like to live in a home like this or do you find it to be too out of line?- via Totonko

Here at Inhabitat we’ve seen technologies that capture carbon dioxide in everything from concrete to artificial trees to DVDs. Now chemists at UCLA have developed a new type of synthetic crystal this is capable of trapping the greenhouse gas 400% more efficiently than similar materials. The crystals were made using a breakthrough technique that “codes” information into their structure much like DNA, allowing researchers to tailor them to soak up carbon dioxide with incredible efficiency.

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Post tags: carbon capture, co2 trapping crystals, crystal sponges, green design, green materials, omar m. yaghi, sustainable design, synthetic crystals, ucla

These luxurious interior decorative paneling by Total are ushering in a new generation of wall coverings. Dubbed “Gold,” these lavish-looking wall panels are certainly a treasure to the trend-spotters out there. And the nice thing about this contemporary collection is you can create a rich interior without the sky-high price tag. Fashion a feature wall that really grabs your attention! Give your fireplace a little healthy competition and surround it in Gold Nitrate panels for a look that really shines. A foyer finished with this stylish wall paneling will create a wonderful welcome home for you and your guests. Even the bathroom gets a new look with these modern wall panels. If gold isn’t your thing, this line has something for everyone – the look of wood, concrete and stone, available in a range of colors. Check out this cool decorative collection at Total Panel System.